Sponsor of national reciprocity bill gives update on efforts to move proposal (VIDEO)

North Carolina Republican U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson on Friday spoke about his plan to sidestep the patchwork of concealed carry reciprocity laws and agreements between states.

Hudson addressed the Leadership Forum crowd at the 147th annual National Rifle Association meeting in Dallas– the only Congressman asked to do so — and spoke on both the Second Amendment and his bill, which he said he expects to be signed into law this year by President Donald Trump.

“Concealed carry reciprocity is already well-established across our country with the average state recognizing permits from more than 30 other states,” Hudson said in a statement given to Guns.com. “National concealed carry reciprocity is simply common sense, and I’m proud to lead the efforts to make it a reality.”

The proposal, H.R.38, slid through the House on a GOP-heavy 231-198 roll call after a brief debate last December while a companion bill in the Senate sponsored by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn — a Texas senator who also spoke at Dallas — has 40 co-sponsors. While the Senate proposal is currently just favored by Republicans, with mid-term elections in just over six months and polling showing that a number of Democratic Senate held seats in states that went Trump in 2016 could be in danger, it’s safe to say that some Dems may cross the aisle to support the bill in some form.

Hudson’s legislation allows law-abiding citizens to carry concealed only if they are not federally prohibited from possessing a firearm, are carrying a valid government-issued photo ID, and are lawfully licensed or entitled to carry a concealed handgun. As such it would circumvent the complex series of state and territorial reciprocity agreements that vary from one area to another, sometimes even within the same states. An improvement from the 2015 proposal that failed to move on Capitol Hill, it also provides protections for residents of a dozen or more constitutional carry states as they travel.

The measure is supported by the attorneys general of 24 states and a variety of Second Amendment organizations. Gun control groups along with Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey are among attorneys general from 15 states and the District of Columbia opposed to national reciprocity.